Congratulations! You made it! You survived and excelled in your student teaching. You are now a science teacher! If you would, take a few minutes to share your wisdom about how to negotiate this difficult year with the students who are following in your footsteps by answering the following questions.
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
Take time and step out of your comfort zone to actually try and teach a few lessons before you get into the full swing of student teaching in the Spring. It can be so tough and nerve wracking when you have never taught a lesson before. Middle school aged kids never have seems so intimidating, so take the plunge! Once you get your first one over with you will feel so much more at ease when you have to begin doing it every day.
Prepare yourself to be an adult for the next four months in the Spring of your senior year. No one wants to do it but thats what you signed up for. If you can handle going out during the week, do it up. BUT, in my experience I was not as capable a teacher or as prepared when I did this. So start your Spring right by going to bed early, waking up early, because getting up that early regularly is literally the worst thing ever.
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
How to prepare a lesson that you are capable of teaching. There are a whole lot of lessons that you will not be able to pull of. Start slow and be easy on yourself. Over time you can progress and start to get crazy with your lesson planning.
You need to be able to understand the concept before you teach it. Which often means reteaching yourself something you learned when you were in 6th, 11th or in college. In order to fake that you know what you are talking about, you actually need to somewhat know what you are talking about. Fake it till you make it, and you will make it out alive.
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have been better prepared for student teaching if I had ...."
Taught lessons prior to actually getting into the classroom in January. Its a horrible, gut wrenching thing the first time you know you have to stand up and lead a lesson for an hour. Just do it. It will not be as bad as you think it will be. I guarantee it.
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
You may not know what you are doing, but the students have no idea that is the case. Just go up there, act confident, and get through your first few lessons. After that it becomes much easier. You aren't supposed to know what you are doing yet, that comes with time.
If you don't know the answer to a question, either give your best response, or tell them to look it up for homework. But make sure that when they come back with the answer you know the answer as well.
You aren't going to end these kids dreams of going to college if you have a horrible lesson or day. They are kids, and realistically this learning thing is the least of their concerns. So relax, try to enjoy it, and have fun.
Kids love to laugh, be funny. You don't have to plan out jokes, but if something comes to mind, let it rip (insert fart joke). See, its easy!
Go out on the weekends, you deserve it.
e. Make sure Dr. Fogleman teaches you to...
Write a resume.
Get a job.
Hit the mews early, because the food at happy hour on Fridays goes fast!
a. What are some things students should do in their fall practicum to make their student teaching go more smoothly?
b. What 430 topics/assignments should students make sure are addressed in detail to prepare them for student teaching?
c. Help the next group of science education student teachers by completing the thought: "If I knew in September what I know now, I could have been better prepared for student teaching if I had ...."
d. Are there other words of wisdom/encouragement that you want to share?
e. Make sure Dr. Fogleman teaches you to...